An announcement of the opening of a nightclub in Jeddah has caught Saudis in a twitter-storm.
WHITE, a Dubai-based nightclub, is set to open in the Saudi city of Jeddah this week, according to StepFeed.
Those participating in the debate are expressing their dissatisfaction over the move at a city close to Makkah.
The Kingdom has witnessed a sort of openness in recent years following the establishment of the General Authority for Entertainment whose purpose is to develop the entertainment sector in the country.
It’s after Dubai and Beirut that the chain is opening a new branch on the waterfront in Jeddah.
However, alcohol will not be allowed in the property.
The club will be open between 10pm and 3am and will prevent those under the age of 18 from entering it.
A video on the opening of the nightclub, accompanied by a voice explaining the nature of the club's work, described it as a "respectable disco" for families.
The ticket prices would range from 500 to 1,000 Saudi riyals.
Other video clips that were said to have been shot inside the club were also in circulation, but were not confirmed authentic.
A BBC report says the entertainment authority or its chairman Turki Al-Sheikh did not comment on the subject.
But White Telecom's regional communications manager Serge Trad told the BBC: "This club is in line with all Saudi regulations and will be temporarily open at the annual Jeddah Festival.
Many Saudis complained on Twitter that the club "is contrary to religion, customs and the law of public taste."
"More than 80 percent of the Saudi people do not want this entertainment," one Ibrahim wrote. "We are a conservative people, and the ideals of modesty are multiplied in us, but those who sits on liberalism never represent the Saudi people."
A good number of people demanded the return of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice---the religious police-- which "imposed Islamic morals, stopped and arrested anyone who violates Islamic values and principles”
Saudi authorities have weakened the religious police and have prevented them from arresting and prosecuting people in 2016.
